Artisan upcoming irons

[Robkingasu]

I’m in Austin. Haven’t played since June. 
 

Probably longest break in 5+ years. 
 

 

[asroma19]

19 hours ago, Robkingasu said:

I’m 1105, got my email about 3 month ago. Have to think the 105+ heat is holding people back from going for the fitting - which has to be 90% of their buyers. 
 

I haven’t ordered yet due to this. 

 

18 hours ago, Arlin964 said:

I’d say you’re right. As you can see in this thread, it wasn’t long ago people in the low 1000’s we’re getting their emails. This is the type of opportunity that I personally wouldnt want to do over the phone. I want the experts to physically see what I’m doing rather than relying on my assessment of my own tendencies. 
 

I live in Dallas and the heat has been no joke this summer. I’ve played a few times in 106 degrees so as long as you prepare appropriately, it can be done. 
 

So I could understand lots of folks deferring for the time being. The heat literally just broke last night with a cold front and there is light at the end of the forecast. 

 

I get it, but I did it over the phone. I had my wedge fitting last August and got to hit the 7-iron prototypes.

I talked to Jamie basically for 1.5 hours over the phone describing what I like and what I don't like, etc. 

 

They are the best irons I have ever hit and the weighting is perfect. 

 

I got them the day before a very big trip and after two large buckets they kicked out my Miura MB-101s QPQ.

[Arlin964]

Today is the day, fellas. I’ll do my best to recap the fitting later when I have some time. 
 

Edit:  fitting is done and on my way home. Really enjoyed it, Jay was top notch. I’ll summarize a bit later. 

Edited September 22, 2023 by Arlin964

[Arlin964]

Sorry guys, this is verbose.  I can't be very succinct when it comes to golf equipment testing.  Sue me.

 

Summary of my game:

 

I'll start by saying this has probably been the best fitting I've had, and the word I'll use to describe it is affirming. 

 

I've been in a phase of iron head/shaft carousel for the last couple years.  My swing has changed a lot since 2019 and I haven't found a set that of irons that I felt I really grooved with.  I'm a 10 handicap with relatively poor driving and putting, so I'd say my iron striking is about 8-10 handicap level.  I would say I'm very sensitive to weight.  If I have a club that is too light for me, my iron striking looks like 15-20 handicap.

 

Because of my swing speed (87mph 7 iron), most fitters put me into a midweight stiff shaft.  I've always had in the back of my mind that those might sometimes be too light because I lose the head in transition.  I have a quick transition and I don't love a shaft profile that has a pronounced bend point.  If I can't feel the head, I lose my timing in transition and can hit fats and thins like nobody's business.  I've been playing a hodgepodge this year in my irons because I've tested a lot and found I like shafts on the heavier side:  ZX4 mk2 6 iron w/ CTaper120 (playing as a 5i), 6&7 i230 w/ PX6.0, 8-P i230 w/ PX6.5.

 

So I've started to figure out I like the 120-125g shaft weight, but no fitters (PXG, Titleist, independent shop) have given me those to try.  Therefore I second guess myself about what works well for me.  Well today, Jay was the first fitter that has affirmed what I've felt in my on-course golf swing.  I have confidence in a gear fitting like I haven't had before and I can't wait to get the irons.

 

Fitting:

 

We started with putting the 7 iron MB on the PX 6.0 shaft since that's my gamer shaft.  Jay had me hit about 6 shots and then we tried the HC and the FC on the same shaft.  Numbers on the MB were pretty good (better than I expected for my ability) and both the HC and FC were very good.  FC topline was only slightly thicker than HC, which was only slightly thicker than MB.  MB had a playable topline thickness to my eye, not too intimidating to me for a 7 iron. All three heads felt crisp and solid. I slightly preferred the feeling of the HC and FC over the MB, mostly because I’m used to the more powerful feel of player distance irons. I did not grow up playing old school blades. All three heads had wonderful turf interaction. The soles got in and out of the turf quickly. 

 

Jay recommended we use the HC to test all the shaft options.

 

C-Taper 120 - This was a really good combo for me.  Good solid shots and overall weight felt good and kept my timing in check.  My normal miss is thin/toe and this combo held up well on those misses.  If anything, the ball flight had a bit too much draw to it.  This is a "new" development since I attended one of Monte's clinics in 2021 and I still haven't trusted it yet after growing up as a fader/slicer for 20 years.  C-Taper 120 moves on.

 

This is where Jay impressed me.  He noticed the ball flight and he could tell that my lower hand was a bit too active, but the divot evidence and trackman data showed I shouldn't necessarily flatten the lie angle.  Knowing that I was going to use a grip with a slightly bigger lower hand, he elected to move forward using the 2FLAT heads just to simulate the future build of standard lie angle with bigger lower hand grip.

 

DG S400 - Wasn't great for me.  Weight seemed pretty good but the ball flight was just too high.  It ballooned on me even with just a moderate headwind.  S400 does not move on.

 

DG120 X100 - Overall weight felt really good on this one.  Strikes were good, the balance was very conducive to my transition and helped me not rush it.  This was Jay's favorite so far.  DG120 X100 moves on.

 

Modus 125S - This one was decent, but I just didn't love the feel of the balance point.  I struck this one out of contention.

 

Modus 130S - This one I liked better than 125S.  Ball flight was noticeably higher than 125S (not a good or bad thing, just noticeable).  It worked well with my timing and it did very well managing ball flight even on thin and toe misses.  Modus 130S moves on.

 

C-Taper 120S, DG120 X100, and Modus 130S are the three contenders, so we tried them all one by one in the HC 7i trying some offspeed swings like I might do on a windy day in north TX.

 

C-Taper was good but the draw was pretty pronounced.  Both DG120 X100 and Modus 130S gave me a few hosel rockets so it wasn't really representative of their performance.  We both determined that today I just didn't have my best off speed stuff and shouldn't necessarily write them off.

 

Overall I would have no problem and be absolutely happy with any of those three shafts.  DG120 X100 was Jay's preference so that's what we're going with.  Bonus is that it will end up making a cohesive bag with my Artisan wedges that have DG S400 in them.

 

Then we tried the X100 in the 9i of both HC and FC to see if there was anything that suggested one over the other.  We found that the HC had better dispersion left to right and front to back than the FC.

 

Jay had some good commentary about the X100 as well, stating that he thinks it offers the most upside out of the three top options.  He said once I get them in hand and start to develop confidence with it, my SS will go up a bit and it should hold up well for me when that happens.  He fit me into something that works well now and also gives me room to grow.  I really enjoyed the two hours I spent with him.  I didn't feel judged or rushed in any way, and he just seemed to understand and adapt to both my verbal and nonverbal feedback.  Making someone feel understood is a great way to have them walk away feeling very positive.

 

Final fit:

We decided the build was going to be Half Cavity 6 thru PW, standard lie, standard length, Tour Issue DG120 X100.

 

Something funny is that after I got my wedges built with S400 earlier this summer, Jamie and I chatted a bit about estimating a good iron shaft based on what he saw.  We both thought DG120 x100 could be a good option to try, so on a whim when New Level had a sale after a senior tour win I bought a 623CB 8 iron with DG120 X100.  I didn't love it necessarily, but hung on to it.

 

I honestly think the heavier head weights of the Artisan heads really make a difference.  The x100/HC 7i today felt totally different than I remember the x100/623CB 8iron feeling.  I believe it comes down to head weight and the care that Artisan puts into their builds.

 

I had an incredible day, and the bonus was that my wedges got sandblasted during my fit so they are good as new now too.  I'll edit this post tomorrow with some photos of those faces.

 

Edit:  fresh wedge face photo added

 

 

Edited September 23, 2023 by Arlin964

[asroma19]

On 9/22/2023 at 8:33 PM, Arlin964 said:

Sorry guys, this is verbose.  I can't be very succinct when it comes to golf equipment testing.  Sue me.

 

Summary of my game:

 

I'll start by saying this has probably been the best fitting I've had, and the word I'll use to describe it is affirming. 

 

I've been in a phase of iron head/shaft carousel for the last couple years.  My swing has changed a lot since 2019 and I haven't found a set that of irons that I felt I really grooved with.  I'm a 10 handicap with relatively poor driving and putting, so I'd say my iron striking is about 8-10 handicap level.  I would say I'm very sensitive to weight.  If I have a club that is too light for me, my iron striking looks like 15-20 handicap.

 

Because of my swing speed (87mph 7 iron), most fitters put me into a midweight stiff shaft.  I've always had in the back of my mind that those might sometimes be too light because I lose the head in transition.  I have a quick transition and I don't love a shaft profile that has a pronounced bend point.  If I can't feel the head, I lose my timing in transition and can hit fats and thins like nobody's business.  I've been playing a hodgepodge this year in my irons because I've tested a lot and found I like shafts on the heavier side:  ZX4 mk2 6 iron w/ CTaper120 (playing as a 5i), 6&7 i230 w/ PX6.0, 8-P i230 w/ PX6.5.

 

So I've started to figure out I like the 120-125g shaft weight, but no fitters (PXG, Titleist, independent shop) have given me those to try.  Therefore I second guess myself about what works well for me.  Well today, Jay was the first fitter that has affirmed what I've felt in my on-course golf swing.  I have confidence in a gear fitting like I haven't had before and I can't wait to get the irons.

 

Fitting:

 

We started with putting the 7 iron MB on the PX 6.0 shaft since that's my gamer shaft.  Jay had me hit about 6 shots and then we tried the HC and the FC on the same shaft.  Numbers on the MB were pretty good (better than I expected for my ability) and both the HC and FC were very good.  FC topline was only slightly thicker than HC, which was only slightly thicker than MB.  MB had a playable topline thickness to my eye, not too intimidating to me for a 7 iron. All three heads felt crisp and solid. I slightly preferred the feeling of the HC and FC over the MB, mostly because I’m used to the more powerful feel of player distance irons. I did not grow up playing old school blades. All three heads had wonderful turf interaction. The soles got in and out of the turf quickly. 

 

Jay recommended we use the HC to test all the shaft options.

 

C-Taper 120 - This was a really good combo for me.  Good solid shots and overall weight felt good and kept my timing in check.  My normal miss is thin/toe and this combo held up well on those misses.  If anything, the ball flight had a bit too much draw to it.  This is a "new" development since I attended one of Monte's clinics in 2021 and I still haven't trusted it yet after growing up as a fader/slicer for 20 years.  C-Taper 120 moves on.

 

This is where Jay impressed me.  He noticed the ball flight and he could tell that my lower hand was a bit too active, but the divot evidence and trackman data showed I shouldn't necessarily flatten the lie angle.  Knowing that I was going to use a grip with a slightly bigger lower hand, he elected to move forward using the 2FLAT heads just to simulate the future build of standard lie angle with bigger lower hand grip.

 

DG S400 - Wasn't great for me.  Weight seemed pretty good but the ball flight was just too high.  It ballooned on me even with just a moderate headwind.  S400 does not move on.

 

DG120 X100 - Overall weight felt really good on this one.  Strikes were good, the balance was very conducive to my transition and helped me not rush it.  This was Jay's favorite so far.  DG120 X100 moves on.

 

Modus 125S - This one was decent, but I just didn't love the feel of the balance point.  I struck this one out of contention.

 

Modus 130S - This one I liked better than 125S.  Ball flight was noticeably higher than 125S (not a good or bad thing, just noticeable).  It worked well with my timing and it did very well managing ball flight even on thin and toe misses.  Modus 130S moves on.

 

C-Taper 120S, DG120 X100, and Modus 130S are the three contenders, so we tried them all one by one in the HC 7i trying some offspeed swings like I might do on a windy day in north TX.

 

C-Taper was good but the draw was pretty pronounced.  Both DG120 X100 and Modus 130S gave me a few hosel rockets so it wasn't really representative of their performance.  We both determined that today I just didn't have my best off speed stuff and shouldn't necessarily write them off.

 

Overall I would have no problem and be absolutely happy with any of those three shafts.  DG120 X100 was Jay's preference so that's what we're going with.  Bonus is that it will end up making a cohesive bag with my Artisan wedges that have DG S400 in them.

 

Then we tried the X100 in the 9i of both HC and FC to see if there was anything that suggested one over the other.  We found that the HC had better dispersion left to right and front to back than the FC.

 

Jay had some good commentary about the X100 as well, stating that he thinks it offers the most upside out of the three top options.  He said once I get them in hand and start to develop confidence with it, my SS will go up a bit and it should hold up well for me when that happens.  He fit me into something that works well now and also gives me room to grow.  I really enjoyed the two hours I spent with him.  I didn't feel judged or rushed in any way, and he just seemed to understand and adapt to both my verbal and nonverbal feedback.  Making someone feel understood is a great way to have them walk away feeling very positive.

 

Final fit:

We decided the build was going to be Half Cavity 6 thru PW, standard lie, standard length, Tour Issue DG120 X100.

 

Something funny is that after I got my wedges built with S400 earlier this summer, Jamie and I chatted a bit about estimating a good iron shaft based on what he saw.  We both thought DG120 x100 could be a good option to try, so on a whim when New Level had a sale after a senior tour win I bought a 623CB 8 iron with DG120 X100.  I didn't love it necessarily, but hung on to it.

 

I honestly think the heavier head weights of the Artisan heads really make a difference.  The x100/HC 7i today felt totally different than I remember the x100/623CB 8iron feeling.  I believe it comes down to head weight and the care that Artisan puts into their builds.

 

I had an incredible day, and the bonus was that my wedges got sandblasted during my fit so they are good as new now too.  I'll edit this post tomorrow with some photos of those faces.

 

Edit:  fresh wedge face photo added

 

 

 

Great review! Thank you!

[scott_Donald]

Emails with Jamie this week; he is making up a build sheet for me; 11 months after my invite email.

[scott_Donald]

where do you guys get all the ferules from? prob just going boring black but some of the irons with funky ferules look great.

[asroma19]

Just now, scott_Donald said:

where do you guys get all the ferules from? prob just going boring black but some of the irons with funky ferules look great.

 

If you order through Artisan, they have some standard sets from BB&F Co. You could buy some from BB&F Co website and send it in when you have your irons or wedges built, have done that multiple times! 

[Maroon_19]

3 hours ago, scott_Donald said:

where do you guys get all the ferules from? prob just going boring black but some of the irons with funky ferules look great.

I bought a couple of sets of ferrules from BB&F and took them with me to my iron fitting.  I wanted to see Artisan's options as well.  I chose one of the sets I bought for the build.

[Arlin964]

Got my 6-P half cavities in today. Fit and ordered 9/22. Shipped 10/3 (awesome birthday gift), arrived 10/4. 
 

Built with TI DG120 X100, standard everything and Lamkin Sonar Wrap Calibrate. 
 

 

6i

 

7i

 

8i

 

9i

 

P

 

You can see they have a bit of a crescent sole that feels great on the turf. Can’t wait to try these out on a golf trip to Vegas this weekend. 

 

[jedc]

Wow @Arlin964, those heads look perfect. Maybe one day. Gotta start with wedges first. 

[scott_Donald]

On 10/4/2023 at 8:59 PM, Maroon_19 said:

I bought a couple of sets of ferrules from BB&F and took them with me to my iron fitting.  I wanted to see Artisan's options as well.  I chose one of the sets I bought for the build.

 

they have two purple ones so tempted to go with that and my usual colour scene.

 

On 10/4/2023 at 5:26 PM, asroma19 said:

 

If you order through Artisan, they have some standard sets from BB&F Co. You could buy some from BB&F Co website and send it in when you have your irons or wedges built, have done that multiple times! 

 

as above they have two option and one I like with purple and white in it.

 

do you guys get bored of them after a while? that's the main reason I am thinking black - I do the same with car colours go boring rather than the colour of the moment.

[Maroon_19]

1 hour ago, scott_Donald said:

do you guys get bored of them after a while? that's the main reason I am thinking black - I do the same with car colours go boring rather than the colour of the moment.

To tell you the truth, I only notice the BB&F ferrules when I'm cleaning my clubs.  When I'm playing it is the furthest thing from my mind.  My Artisan wedges have plain old black ferrules, and I never notice the difference between the wedges and the irons at address.  My OCD mind is too busy trying to figure out how to screw up this next shot... 😄

[scott_Donald]

On 10/6/2023 at 6:34 PM, Maroon_19 said:

To tell you the truth, I only notice the BB&F ferrules when I'm cleaning my clubs.  When I'm playing it is the furthest thing from my mind.  My Artisan wedges have plain old black ferrules, and I never notice the difference between the wedges and the irons at address.  My OCD mind is too busy trying to figure out how to screw up this next shot... 😄

 

its funny; I keep thinking I am just going to go black and then another pic of a set of funky ferrules appears on instagram.

 

leaning towards them now. will put my order in Monday!

[wattage]

Let’s have a day🤙🏽

Edited October 16, 2023 by wattage

[snagy2000]

1 minute ago, wattage said:

Let’s have a day🤙🏽

Enjoy, be there in 2 weeks...

[Maroon_19]

12 minutes ago, wattage said:

Let’s have a day🤙🏽

Gonna be a good day for it.  Have fun!

[scott_Donald]

My iron order is in.

[asroma19]

New wedges and re-shafted 5-iron is coming back! 

[scott_Donald]

50 minutes ago, asroma19 said:

New wedges and re-shafted 5-iron is coming back! 

what changed?

[asroma19]

I broke my only iron shaft in an intense match and ended up wrapping my 5 iron and the shaft snapped. 

 

As for the new wedges, just trying out stuff! LOL Like a true GolfWRX member.

[wattage]

Had a nice day Monday at my iron and wedge fitting. Jay was a nice host and had some good info during the iron fitting. I was looking for a go-to set for tournaments/events. I currently play Miura small blades w Modus 120, Titleist 620cb w PX 6.0 LZ, and NCW short set w Modus 120. Jay spec'd my 620cb set as that is my tournament/member-guest set.

My swing was average that day during the iron fit, not my best but okay. I fully expected to land on a mixed set of HC/FC. My strike and consistency was best with the MB however, and I much preferred the MB sound/feel. 

Shaft wise, we tried PX LZ6, Modus 120, Modus 105, S400, maybe X100 not sure on that one. I tried to not pay attention to the details and just swing. Jay snuck a standard lie angle head instead of the 2 up head and sure enough dispersion was worse; I usually play 1* upright.  Once we narrowed down to a few shafts we started to hit shots-low, high etc. This was my favorite part, I can loose focus hitting stock shot after shot. This test is where we landed on the 6.0 LZ instead of Modus 120. I was able to keep the LZ lower when asked. I am stopping this set at 5iron, and will look for something in the hybrid or utility iron to fill gap of 5wood to 5 iron. 

5-P MB 1* strong loft, PX LZ 6.0 black, Lamkin 360 genesis cord

 

Iron fitting took about 2 hours; then went for a sandwich since Jamie was fitting wedges. I came back and had quite a while before my wedge appt. I wanted to roll the 2201 putter and very happily chatted and ended up working w John to dial in the 2201. John is one of my favorite people! He's so laid back but firm. He was happy to watch me from afar then come over to change necks on the 2201; he said he could see me struggling with the first setup. We ended up hitting putts and him changing necks to see the effect, he said "I'm having fun now". So good! I would trust him to build whatever head style I liked and nail the toe hang and weight! I still prefer my 0220, its soft but solid milled feel is so so nice. 

 

Wedges with Jaime was fun. I definitely got a bit tired and lower energy by the time we went out. I had flown in from the West Coast the night before and didn't get much sleep but was excited and ready to go early. I think I ran out of gas after lunch. I hit some pretty awful shots tbh, but that's golf right! Jaime is soft spoken but very attentive and clearly knowledgeable. We went through all the heads and tried shafts to hone in on what worked for me. We ended up w 50/55/60 Modus 115 (which is what I play in my 60*). I really struggled in their bunker; its really heavy beach style sand, easy to dig. He gave me a few tips to manage it. 

 

The hardest but also fun part is deciding on the details: paint, ferrule etc. I went pretty simple, no extra stamping, bead blast finish, tiphany colored ferrules with matching paint. [50 shafted and ferruled to match the MB set]

 

I had follow up questions which Jay was responsive with. In hindsight I would've really compared the trackman data of my 620cb set vs the MB set closer once inside. 

 

For me, the in person fit revealed a different setup than I probably would have ordered based on my equipment and preferences. So glad I made the trip!!

 

Edited October 20, 2023 by wattage

[asroma19]

12 minutes ago, wattage said:

Had a nice day Monday at my iron and wedge fitting. Jay was a nice host and had some good info during the iron fitting. I was looking for a go-to set for tournaments/events. I currently play Miura small blades w Modus 120, Titleist 620cb w PX 6.0 LZ, and NCW short set w Modus 120. Jay spec'd my 620cb set as that is my tournament/member-guest set.

My swing was average that day during the iron fit, not my best but okay. I fully expected to land on a mixed set of HC/FC. My strike and consistency was best with the MB however, and I much preferred the MB sound/feel. 

Shaft wise, we tried PX LZ6, Modus 120, Modus 105, S400, maybe X100 not sure on that one. I tried to not pay attention to the details and just swing. Jay snuck a standard lie angle head instead of the 2 up head and sure enough dispersion was worse; I usually play 1* upright.  Once we narrowed down to a few shafts we started to hit shots-low, high etc. This was my favorite part, I can loose focus hitting stock shot after shot. This test is where we landed on the 6.0 LZ instead of Modus 120. I was able to keep the LZ lower when asked. I am stopping this set at 5iron, and will look for something in the hybrid or utility iron to fill gap of 5wood to 5 iron. 

5-P MB 1* strong loft, PX LZ 6.0 black, Lamkin 360 genesis cord

 

Iron fitting took about 2 hours; then went for a sandwich since Jamie was fitting wedges. I came back and had quite a while before my wedge appt. I wanted to roll the 2201 putter and very happily chatted and ended up working w John to dial in the 2201. John is one of my favorite people! He's so laid back but firm. He was happy to watch me from afar then come over to change necks on the 2201; he said he could see me struggling with the first setup. We ended up hitting putts and him changing necks to see the effect, he said "I'm having fun now". So good! I would trust him to build whatever head style I liked and nail the toe hang and weight! I still prefer my 0220, its soft but solid milled feel is so so nice. 

 

Wedges with Jaime was fun. I definitely got a bit tired and lower energy by the time we went out. I had flown in from the West Coast the night before and didn't get much sleep but was excited and ready to go early. I think I ran out of gas after lunch. I hit some pretty awful shots tbh, but that's golf right! Jaime is soft spoken but very attentive and clearly knowledgeable. We went through all the heads and tried shafts to hone in on what worked for me. We ended up w 50/55/60 Modus 115 (which is what I play in my 60*). I really struggled in their bunker; its really heavy beach style sand, easy to dig. He gave me a few tips to manage it. 

 

The hardest but also fun part is deciding on the details: paint, ferrule etc. I went pretty simple, no extra stamping, bead blast finish, tiphany colored ferrules with matching paint. [50 shafted and ferruled to match the MB set]

 

I had follow up questions which Jay was responsive with. In hindsight I would've really compared the trackman data of my 620cb set vs the MB set closer once inside. 

 

For me, the in person fit revealed a different setup than I probably would have ordered based on my equipment and preferences. So glad I made the trip!!

 

 

Where are you on the west coast? I am in SoCal.

[wattage]

21 minutes ago, asroma19 said:

 

Where are you on the west coast? I am in SoCal.

SF Bay Area here👊🏼

[asroma19]

I am reunited with my 5-iron! 

 

And some new wedges! 😍 

[Pnwpingi210]

Is there still a waiting list for these irons? I noticed their website has a link to book a fitting.

[snagy2000]

49 minutes ago, Pnwpingi210 said:

Is there still a waiting list for these irons? I noticed their website has a link to book a fitting.

Nope, all existing customers have been offered. Use the site to book a time. 

[Pnwpingi210]

On 7/25/2023 at 6:01 PM, ry1808 said:

Got my fitting scheduled for Sept 8. Really looking forward to that one!

 

Any recommendations for courses to play around the area? I'm looking at Hawks Creek on the Friday morning and then looking for another one Saturday morning before I fly out. Something closer to DFW. I've seen mixed reviews of the Cowboys golf club?

Did you have your fitting?  Did they have modus 120 tx in the fitting cart?

[Phabs]

Hopefully mine will be here in the next two weeks 

[scott_Donald]

7 hours ago, Phabs said:

Hopefully mine will be here in the next two weeks 

 

What was the estimate on the turnover for the irons? I never asked.